Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of personal independence payments have died within three months of having their application rejected since April 2018.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is claimed by people with a range of health conditions and disabilities, many of which are degenerative or life limiting and the Department treats the death of any claimant sympathetically. New Claims made under Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI) are fast tracked and are being cleared in 5 working days on average (as at the end of April 2020, the latest available published data).

The cause of death of claimants to PIP is not collated centrally by the Department.

• Between April 2018 and 31^st October 2019, 1,360,420 registrations were made for PIP New Claims and Reassessments from DLA. Of these, 18,290 died within 6 months of registering a claim to PIP up to 30^th April 2020.

• Between April 2018 and 31^st January 2020, 688,100 disallowances at initial decision were made for PIP New Claims and Reassessments from DLA. Of these, 1,700 died within 3 months of receiving a disallowance decision up to 30^th April 2020.

Notes

Sources: PIP ADS, Customer Information System

• PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants, and is for both new claims and DLA reassessment claims.
• This analysis only takes the first registration a claimant makes to PIP.

• This is unpublished data from the PIP computer system’s (PIP CS) management information. It should be used with caution and may be subject to future revision.
• Data has been rounded to the nearest 10.
• Figures cover PIP claims registered from April 2018 – October 2019, initial decisions made from April 2018 – January 2020, and deaths from April 2018 up to 30^th April 2020 as recorded at 31^st July 2020. Data and may be subject to retrospection.
• GB Only.

Under the Social Security (Notification of Deaths) Regulations 2012 and s125 of Social Security Administration Act 1992 date of death is provided to the Department for all registered deaths. Additionally next of kin also provide information on the date of death of an individual and this information is used appropriately in the administration of Departmental benefits.